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Bicycle and pedestrian safety strategies in North Carolina : statewide input and priorities

Bicycle and pedestrian safety strategies in North Carolina : statewide input and priorities

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY STRATEGIES IN NORTH CAROLINA:
STATEWIDE INPUT AND PRIORITIES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepared By:
Sarah O’Brien and Kristy Jackson For:
Institute for Transportation Research and Education Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
North Carolina State University North Carolina Department of Transportation
BicycleandPedestrianSafetyStrategiesinNorthCarolina:StatewideInputandPriorities
SynthesisReport
May2011 |ii
EXECUTIVESUMMARY
The Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (DBPT) tasked the Institute of Transportation
Research and Education (ITRE) with conducting a statewide public input process to inventory and
prioritizespecificstrategiestokeyproblemsfacingnonmotorizedsafetyinNorthCarolina.Thisreport
documents the public input process and the resultant strategies prioritized through this effort for
further consideration for implementationby theNCDOT. It is also representativeof statewidepublic
inputthatshouldbeusedforplanningpurposeswhereverbicycleandpedestriansafetyisconcerned.
Thetimingforastatewideforumonbicycleandpedestriansafetyisappropriateforseveralreasons:
NorthCarolina’spopulationisprojectedtoincreasebyapproximately14%by2020primarilyin
urbanizingareaswhichmeansalikelyincreaseintheamountofpedestriansandcyclistswithin
thesecommunities;
Policiesandpartnershipsatlocal,stateandnationallevelsareshiftingtransportationpriorities
toamorebalancedandcontextsensitiveapproachinmeetingtheneedsofallusersincluding
bicycleandpedestrianmodes;
RatesofobesityareontheriseinNorthCarolinainbothadultsandchildrenwithasedentary
lifestylecitedasoneofthemaincontributors.Anincreaseinactivetransportationbymaking
changestothebuildenvironmentcanhelpcurbthetrendwhichhasmadenearly2in3adultsin
NorthCarolinaoverweightorobese.
TheNCDOThasnotheldastatewidepublicinputprocessofthismagnitudesince2000andthe
resultsofthisprocessarepertinenttoinformingfuturedecisionmaking.
Furthermore,basedonthemostrecentdataavailablefrom2000to2008,whilepedestrian
crashesandfatalitiespercapitaaretrendingdown,bicyclecrashratesarestagnant,andbicycle
fatalitiespercapitaareslowlyrising.
The 2011NC Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Summit consistedof two separate but interrelatedpublic
involvement processes conducted in the winter of 2011 which are the foundation of this synthesis
report:(1)awidelydistributedstatewidepublicinputquestionnairewhichinformeda(2)seriesoffive
regionalroundtablesheldacrossthestate.Ultimatelyaconsensusonthestrategiestocarryforwardto
NCDOTwas reachedby roundtable participants through a processof priority voting. Severalthemes
clearly emerged through the regional roundtable process. Problems and corresponding solutions
coalescedaroundmakingimprovementsorcreatinganewapproachtofacilities,funding,policies,laws,
enforcement, intergovernmental cooperation, design, education, and public outreach. These themes
arefurtherreinforcedbasedontheresultsfromthestatewidequestionnaireresponses.
Having a comprehensive implementation at both the state and local level for the Complete Streets
Policy adopted by NCDOT in July of 2009 is undoubtedly the highest priority identified. Next in
importance is a message for NCDOT to reallocate more funds toward multimodal projects; focus on
retrofitting existing facilities with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations; and require more from all
users of the roadway through changes in licensing. Other priorities include a desire for NCDOT to
increase public awareness of bicycle and pedestrian safety issues through education; strengthen the
BicycleandPedestrianSafetyStrategiesinNorthCarolina:StatewideInputandPriorities
SynthesisReport
May2011 |iii
connectionbetweentransportationandlandusethroughcollaborationwithlocalagencies;andworkto
improve existing laws and the enforcement process in North Carolina.
The diagram outlines the major action initiatives that will be presented to the BOT and should be
considered by NCDOT for future implementation. It should be noted that implementation of the
CompleteStreetsPolicyispertinentandsynergistictotheotherpriorityactioninitiatives.
The issues and concerns identified through the questionnaire are largely addressed by the action
initiativesandcorrespondingstrategiesfoundwithinthisreport,reinforcingabroadpublicsupportto
thefollowingapproaches.Ultimately,workingtofulfillallsevenmajoractioninitiativesrecommended
in this report will enhance the safetyof all road users, improve the qualityof life and health for the
citizensandvisitors,andensurethatNorthCarolinaremainsadesirableplaceinwhichtowork,live,and
play.
Address
Multi-Modal
Funding
Require More
from
All Road Users
Connect
Transportation
and
Land Use
Improve Laws
and Strengthen
Enforcement
Process
Increase Public
Awareness
through
Education
Retrofit Existing
Facilities
Fully Implement
Complete
Streets
2011 Summit
Major Action
Initiatives

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY STRATEGIES IN NORTH CAROLINA:
STATEWIDE INPUT AND PRIORITIES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepared By:
Sarah O’Brien and Kristy Jackson For:
Institute for Transportation Research and Education Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
North Carolina State University North Carolina Department of Transportation
BicycleandPedestrianSafetyStrategiesinNorthCarolina:StatewideInputandPriorities
SynthesisReport
May2011 |ii
EXECUTIVESUMMARY
The Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (DBPT) tasked the Institute of Transportation
Research and Education (ITRE) with conducting a statewide public input process to inventory and
prioritizespecificstrategiestokeyproblemsfacingnonmotorizedsafetyinNorthCarolina.Thisreport
documents the public input process and the resultant strategies prioritized through this effort for
further consideration for implementationby theNCDOT. It is also representativeof statewidepublic
inputthatshouldbeusedforplanningpurposeswhereverbicycleandpedestriansafetyisconcerned.
Thetimingforastatewideforumonbicycleandpedestriansafetyisappropriateforseveralreasons:
NorthCarolina’spopulationisprojectedtoincreasebyapproximately14%by2020primarilyin
urbanizingareaswhichmeansalikelyincreaseintheamountofpedestriansandcyclistswithin
thesecommunities;
Policiesandpartnershipsatlocal,stateandnationallevelsareshiftingtransportationpriorities
toamorebalancedandcontextsensitiveapproachinmeetingtheneedsofallusersincluding
bicycleandpedestrianmodes;
RatesofobesityareontheriseinNorthCarolinainbothadultsandchildrenwithasedentary
lifestylecitedasoneofthemaincontributors.Anincreaseinactivetransportationbymaking
changestothebuildenvironmentcanhelpcurbthetrendwhichhasmadenearly2in3adultsin
NorthCarolinaoverweightorobese.
TheNCDOThasnotheldastatewidepublicinputprocessofthismagnitudesince2000andthe
resultsofthisprocessarepertinenttoinformingfuturedecisionmaking.
Furthermore,basedonthemostrecentdataavailablefrom2000to2008,whilepedestrian
crashesandfatalitiespercapitaaretrendingdown,bicyclecrashratesarestagnant,andbicycle
fatalitiespercapitaareslowlyrising.
The 2011NC Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Summit consistedof two separate but interrelatedpublic
involvement processes conducted in the winter of 2011 which are the foundation of this synthesis
report:(1)awidelydistributedstatewidepublicinputquestionnairewhichinformeda(2)seriesoffive
regionalroundtablesheldacrossthestate.Ultimatelyaconsensusonthestrategiestocarryforwardto
NCDOTwas reachedby roundtable participants through a processof priority voting. Severalthemes
clearly emerged through the regional roundtable process. Problems and corresponding solutions
coalescedaroundmakingimprovementsorcreatinganewapproachtofacilities,funding,policies,laws,
enforcement, intergovernmental cooperation, design, education, and public outreach. These themes
arefurtherreinforcedbasedontheresultsfromthestatewidequestionnaireresponses.
Having a comprehensive implementation at both the state and local level for the Complete Streets
Policy adopted by NCDOT in July of 2009 is undoubtedly the highest priority identified. Next in
importance is a message for NCDOT to reallocate more funds toward multimodal projects; focus on
retrofitting existing facilities with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations; and require more from all
users of the roadway through changes in licensing. Other priorities include a desire for NCDOT to
increase public awareness of bicycle and pedestrian safety issues through education; strengthen the
BicycleandPedestrianSafetyStrategiesinNorthCarolina:StatewideInputandPriorities
SynthesisReport
May2011 |iii
connectionbetweentransportationandlandusethroughcollaborationwithlocalagencies;andworkto
improve existing laws and the enforcement process in North Carolina.
The diagram outlines the major action initiatives that will be presented to the BOT and should be
considered by NCDOT for future implementation. It should be noted that implementation of the
CompleteStreetsPolicyispertinentandsynergistictotheotherpriorityactioninitiatives.
The issues and concerns identified through the questionnaire are largely addressed by the action
initiativesandcorrespondingstrategiesfoundwithinthisreport,reinforcingabroadpublicsupportto
thefollowingapproaches.Ultimately,workingtofulfillallsevenmajoractioninitiativesrecommended
in this report will enhance the safetyof all road users, improve the qualityof life and health for the
citizensandvisitors,andensurethatNorthCarolinaremainsadesirableplaceinwhichtowork,live,and
play.
Address
Multi-Modal
Funding
Require More
from
All Road Users
Connect
Transportation
and
Land Use
Improve Laws
and Strengthen
Enforcement
Process
Increase Public
Awareness
through
Education
Retrofit Existing
Facilities
Fully Implement
Complete
Streets
2011 Summit
Major Action
Initiatives